I'd share a personal experience: a few years ago I got the chance to fly a Boeing 737 simulator (the real thing, not the PC simulator!) At that time the only real aircraft I've flown was a Cessna 172. I managed to land on Kai Tak airport in the simulator on my very first attempt to land a (simulated) 737. I was so nervous that I totally forgot to call for the landing checklist, and the instructor helped me with the gear and flaps, but I was the sole manipulator of the controls and I landed with no automation whatsoever, not even ILS.

How? There were a few factors that came into play:

• I learnt how planes fly in ground school. Big planes fly just the same way as smaller planes, only with larger wings and more powerful engines.
• I knew how to manipulate the flight controls. It came as a bit of a surprise that the controls feel heavier than I'd expect, but they behaved the same anyway.
• My enthusiasm in aviation meant I have learnt beyond the Cessna 172 from books, online articles and PC simulation experience. I was not able to identify every single switch and knob in the cockpit, but I knew enough to fly the plane in that situation.

My answer? Yes, definitely!

I'd share a personal experience: a few years ago I got the chance to fly a Boeing 737 simulator (the real thing, not the PC simulator!) At that time the only real aircraft I've flown was a Cessna 172. I managed to land on Kai Tak airport in the simulator on my very first attempt to land a (simulated) 737. I was so nervous that I totally forgot to call for the landing checklist, and the instructor helped me with the gear and flaps, but I was the sole manipulator of the controls and I landed with no automation whatsoever, not even ILS.

How? There were a few factors that came into play:

• I learnt how planes fly in ground school. Big planes fly just the same way as smaller planes, only with larger wings and more powerful engines.
• I knew how to manipulate the flight controls. It came as a bit of a surprise that the controls feel heavier than I'd expect, but they behaved the same anyway.
• My enthusiasm in aviation meant I have learnt beyond the Cessna 172 from books, online articles and PC simulation experience. I was not able to identify every single switch and knob in the cockpit, but I knew enough to fly the plane in that situation.

My answer? If it's a perfectly flyable aircraft (no failures), calm weather, then Yes, definitely! Here's what I'd do if it happens in real life:

1. Aviate, navigate, communicate. No matter what happens, always remember that. That means the first thing to do after entering the cockpit is not to find the radio buttons and call for help; the first thing is to access all primary flight instruments and make sure we're flying.
2. Radio for help. Declare an emergency on the last radio frequency. If no one responds, tune to 121.5 and try again.
3. Request a long runway with calm weather. Unless it's something like a A380 or Boeing 747, chances are there would be a runway long enough so you don't have to worry about hitting the touchdown spot.
4. Setup autoland, if available. Autoland requires suitable equipment both on the plane and on the ground. If it's not available, given a long enough final (say 20 miles), I think I'd feel comfortable hand flying the aircraft down.
5. Have the emergency trucks standing by. In the event I crashed during landing, gear collapsed or whatever, everyone'd be ready to help.